Rocking-chair



(No Model.)

N. G. FRANZENa BOOKING CHAIR 323,137. Patented July 28, 1885./

--f- Ji 5 IN'VENTOR Y JZm Wl'l'NESSES ATTORNEYS.

v ATnNT Prion.,

NILS GUSTAF FRANZEN, OF RANDOLPH, KANSAS.

RocKlNc-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,137, dated July 28,1885.

i Application filed November 24, 18H4. (No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that l, NILs GUsTAF FRANZEN, of Randolph, in the county ofRiley and State of Kansas, have invented anew and Improved RockingOhair,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction ofrocking-chairs, so as to provide a chair having an agreeable combinedrocking and 'swinging motion, and one capable of being used with comfortby occupants in sitting or in recumbent positions.

The invention consists in particular constructions of parts of thechair, including its base-frame, the connections of the seat of thechair-body to its back and to the base-frame, and in the means employedto hang the chairbody from and within the base-frame, together withasliding foot-rest fitted beneath the chairbody, all as hereinafterfully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similarletters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a central longitudinal sectional elevation of my improvedrocking-chair. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chair partly brokenaway-and in section, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the chair partlybroken away and in section.

The letters A A indicate the two side frames of the base of the chair,each frame 'c0nsist ing of two uprights, c a, connected at their tops bya bar, c', and a cap-plate, a2, which may have any preferred face andedge ornamentation to give a neat nish to the top of the base-frame, andI connect the front and rear uprights by rounds a3. At or near theirlower ends the opposite base-frames are connected by front and backcross bars or plates, B C, respectively, which are themselves connectedby a longitudinally-ranging tie bar or plate, D. The parts A B G Dform asubstantial frame open clear through from front to back at the upperpart to give room for the chair-body.

The chair-body consists of a seat, E, and back F, hinged together at G,and having arm plates or bars H, which are pivoted at f to the back F,and at h are pivoted to links or bars I, which in turn are pivoted at ito the seat E, and preferably within recesses formed in the upper edgesor faces of the side bars, e e, of the seat.

A suitable spring. J, having a coil, j, of

.several turns of the wire of the spring,is made fast at one end to theseat E,and connects with the chair-back F by the passage of its arm j'loosely through an eye or keeper, f2, fixed to the chair-back, saidspring J acting to swing the back F forward on its hinge G, and pawls K,hinged at 7c to the arm-bars H,are adapted each to enter one of a seriesof notches. l 2 3, formed i nthe upper edges of the seat-bars e e, tobrace or lock the chair-back F firmly against backward pressure broughtupon it by the occupant ot' the chair in swinging or rocking the chair.

The arm-bars H may be provided with any suitable cushioned arm-rests,h', and the seat and back may be upholsteredin any preferred way, as ate'f. y

To support the chair-body so it may rock or swing in the base-frame, Iemploy the U- shaped hangers L M, the side arms ofwhieh incline towardeach other at the same side of the chair, and are pivoted on pins orbolts l m', respectively, to the opposite side frames, A A, thechair-seat E resting on the cross-bars Z m of the hangers, which areheld to the scat by side bars or pla-tes, N N, Xed to the seatbars e e,and in which bars N N e e the crossbars Z m have their bearings, so asto turn freely.

I connect the seat E by front and rear springs, O l?, respectively, withthe base of the chair, the lower ends of the springs being connected,preferably, to the tie-plate D, and the upper ends of the springs mayconnect either with the cross-bars of the hangers, as

shown, with the spring O, or with the seatframe, as shown, with thespring l?, l

The springs O l? prevent the chair-body from swinging too far eitherway, and as the normal tendency of the springs is to contract theyalways will carry the chair-seat to the middle position. (Indicated inFigs. l and 3.)

The opposite side bars, N N, of the seat-frame have grooves nn formed inthem, in which the side bars, rr, of the foot-restRare adapted to slide,so that the foot-rest may be drawn out at any time, as in Fig. 1, or bepushed in, as in Fig. 2. The front bar of the foot-rest forms a stopagainst the ends of the bars N N, and may have any desired ornamentalVfinish.

It will be seen that the occupant of the chair, by pressing against thechair-back, may at any time rock the chair-body on the pivots Z m andcross-bars Z 'm of the hangers L M, the front and rear springs, O I),giving the return motions in opposite directions, the motion being acombined rocking and swinging movement, which is very easy andagreeable; and to give a dii-ferent slant to the chair-back F it is onlynecessary to place the pawls K in the desired notches, l, 2, 3, &c., inthe seatframe, Fig. l of the drawings representing thc pawls in the rearnotches, 3, to secure a reclining or recumbentposture to the occupantofthe chair, whose feet may then rest on lthe drawn-out foot-rest It,while in Fig. 2 the pawls K are set in the forward notches, l, forholding the chair-back nearly vertical, and the foot-rest R is pushedback beneath the seat.,

I do notliniit myself to the particular forms shown ol the springs J OI), as a flat or plate spring may substitute the spring J, andplatesprings and cords or chains connecting their free ends with thechair-seat may substitute the springs O I), as will readily beunderstood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A rocking-chair comprising a seat-frame, a seat Within the upper partof said frame, hangers pivoted to the seat-frame and to the seat, theback, the arms pivoted thereto, links pivotally connecting the forwardparts of said side arms with the seat, and pawls pivoted to said sidearms at or near the middle par ys thereof and constructed to engagenotches in.

the sides of the movable seat, substantially as set forth.

2. A rockingehair constructed with abaseframe open from front to back atits upper part, and a chair-body supported therein on hangers L M, andsaid chair-body consisting of a seat, E, back F, hinged thereto, aspring tending to swing the back forward with relation to the seat, thearms H, links I, and pawls K, adapted to enter notches in thechair-seat, substantially as herein set forth.

3. A rocking-chair constructed with a baseframe open from front to backat its upper part, and a chair-body supported therein on hangers L M,said chainbody consisting o'seat E, hingedback F, spring J, arms I-I I,pawls K, and a foot-rest, It, sliding under the seat, and the springs Ol?, connecting the seat and base-frame,all substantially as herein setforth.

4;. In a rocking-chai r, the combination, with the seat, the pivotedhangers L,'and the springs O, of the base frame constructed with sideframes, A A, having legs a a, connected by upper bars, a, caps a2, androunds a3, the crossbars B C, and tiebar D, substantially as herein setforth.

NILS GUSTAF FRANZEN.

lVitnesses:

A. I). BnUGTssoN, I). Lnivis.

